Rest in Peace Karl Papendick shot down in his prime

Bear with me on this one.

Carpenter Shih was on his way to Chi, when he came to the place called Chu Yuan, where saw an oak tree which was venerated as the home of the spirits of the land. The tree was so vast that a thousand oxen could hide behind it. It was a hundred spans round and it soared above the hill to eighty feet before it even began to put out branches. There where ten such branches, from any one of which an entire boat could be carved. Masses of people came to see it, giving the place a carnival atmosphere, but carpenter Shih didn't even look round, just went on his way. His assistant looked at it with great intensity, and then chased after his master and said,'Since I first took up my axe and followed you, I have never seen wood such as this. Sir, why did you not even glance at it nor stop, but just kept going?'

He said, 'Silence not another word! The tree is useless. Make a boat from it and it would sink; make a coffin from it and it would rot quickly; make some furniture from it and it would fall to pieces; make a door and it would be covered in seeping sap; make apillar and it would be worm eaten. This wood is useless and good for nothing. This is why it has lived so long.'

When Master Shih was returning, the tree appeared to him in a dream, saying , 'What exactly are you comparing me with? With ornamental fruit trees? Trees such as the hawthorn, pear tree, orange trees, citrus trees, gourds and other such fruit trees? Their fruits are knocked down when they are ripe and the trees suffer. The big branches are damaged and the small ones are broken off. Because they are useful they suffer, and they are unable to live out the years heaven has given them. They only have their usefulness to blame for this destruction wrought by the people. It is the same with all things. I have spent a long time studying to be useless, though on a couple of occasions I was nearly destroyed. However, now I have perfected the art of uselessness, and this is very useful, to me! If I had been of use, could I have grown so vast? Furthermore, you and I are both things. How can you a useless man about to die, know anything about a useless tree? 

Chuang Tzu

   

Thanksgiving 2008

Rice

  A Korean grad student once explained to me that this was how his mother taught him to make rice.

Wash, wash the rice under cold water, making sure to grind the rice in your hands thoroughly this releases the husk from the grain and helps to release starches in the rice.

Saute the rice in oil or butter, here a nice heavy sauce pan helps if this is not available a piece of quarter inch steel on the burner will help, I throw in shallots, garlic, or onion with a pinch of nutmeg and cayenne for flavor. Saute until the rice become translucent. This also helps to release the starches in the rice, making it easier to digest and eat with your fingers or chopsticks.

Turn off the heat, add cold water at a ratio of 3 water to 1 rice. I usually go for one and one half cups rice to four and one half cups water yielding 3 cups rice. Jong Pils mother would add water until it covers your hand while placed on top of the rice, this I don't understand because if you just sauteed your rice it is very hot and that becomes painful and the amount of water would vary according to the size of your pan.

Bring to boil.

Stir.

Turn heat down as low as possible or until the flame just stops touching the bottom of your pot.

Cover.

Walk away(a watched pot never boils).

Depending on your rice check in with it in about 15 to 45 minutes . If you still see water go back to Cover. If you don't see water on top but can dig down and see water and the rice is not tender go back to cover. If the rice seems tender leave uncovered and simmer until your water evaporates. When your rice is tender and your water has been absorbed or has evaporated your rice is done.

Enjoy a treat that that has nourished societies for thousands of years.

What is, is, what is not, is not.

The Tao is made because we walk it,

things become what they are called.

Why is this so? Surely because this is not so.

Everything has what is innate,

everything has what is necessary. 

Nothing is not something,

nothing is not so.

Therefore, take a stalk of wheat and a pillar,

a leper or a beauty like Hsi-shih, 

the great and the insecure,

the cunning and the odd:

all these are alike to the Tao.

In their difference is their completeness;

in their completeness is their difference.

Chuang Tzu

My coffee pot just fell to the floor and smashed into thousand pieces.

Nothing is now my coffee pot

Thoughts for the world to see, if they choose to look

Way- making being empty

You make use of it

But do not fill it up

So abysmally deep-

It seems the predecessor of everything that is happening

It blunts the sharp edges

And untangles the nots;

It softens the glare

And brings everything together on the same track.

So cavernously deep-

It only seems to persist.

I do not know whose progeny it is;

It prefigures the ancestral gods.

Dao De Jing

Joy is never known

Until the passing of a terrible headache